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While the holidays are a festive time of year, they can also be a time of great stress for parents. There are presents to be bought, friends and family to entertain and money to be spent. Also, let's not forget the cooking, the cleaning and general tasks that are expected. The festive season, not surprisingly, can be one that causes anxiety for many of us who are trying to balance parenting along with all of the other responsibilities and expectations that come along in December.

There are ways to survive the festive season and holidays, however.

Set the Stage : You are the role model for your kids, they take cues from you and  they will feed off your mood. Keeping cool, and calm at this time will induce a stress free environment and your family will thank you for it.

Managing Expectations: Advertising hype gets children well and truly on the, “I want..” train early.  The expectations of a full bounty of gifts can create a lot of stress for families on a tight budget.  Set things straight with this and also for expectations of Santa. You don’t need to give a full account of finances but reminders that the true meaning of Christmas is about family, love and kindness, all of which do not cost money. Some families have been known to give just three gifts in the spirit of the three gifts that were given to Jesus by the three wise men.

Get help if you need it: Sometimes the stress of cooking, cleaning, present buying etc can take its toll on the parents wellbeing, which is filtered down to the children. Enlist relatives to share with the chores, playdates for children and older children helping with the present buying that is needed.

Have a Plan:  Everyone knows that a “bored” child is a whiny child. Get your children to “PLAN” early too for activities that will keep them busy and occupied during the break. A child who is bored will give you the problem. Brainstorm with them early, even before the break and encourage them to be an active participant in the problem solving process.

Relax with the routine: Sometimes to reduce stress levels it is a good time to reduce some of the rigidity with routine rules. An example might be where bed time may be extended. When the season passes, the kids will get back into the routine and life will resume. The world will still turn with a little relaxation on all parts.

May you all enjoy this special time of the year with your partners, children and extended families and have a safe and happy break. 

Tenison Woods College Counsellors
Josie Ashby  |  Mairead Mackle  |  Laura Herbert

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